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Despite Chaos

by Stacy Lynn Miller

Alexandra Castle hides the brightest part of herself. As the heir-apparent to the Castle Resort empire, her only fault—according to her controlling father—is that she’s gay.

Keeping her sexuality hidden seems a small price to pay for upholding the family image. When Alex’s father pits her against her twin brother in a high-stakes competition to choose who will take over the company upon his retirement, Alex knows she’s got what it takes to win. Until an ex-lover reappears and threatens to destroy her life.

Tyler Falling hides the darkest part of herself. On the surface, she’s a put-together middle-class wife and mother. In reality, she’s broken from a sexual assault twelve years earlier. When Tyler unexpectedly comes face-to-face with her rapist, a deep family secret surfaces and jeopardizes the life she’s created.

With both their worlds crumbling, Alex and Tyler escape to Napa where a brief, anonymous encounter sparks a mutual infatuation, changing the trajectory of their lives. Living a lie is no longer an option, but can an improbable romance bloom amid embezzlement, blackmail, and self-exploration?

Content note: the book contains one brief description of a sexual assault.

Book One in the Falling Castles Series.

eBook

$9.99

Paperback

$18.95

In stock

Genre Romance, Mystery
Length 292 pages
Publication Date January 13, 2022
Publisher Bella Books
ISBN 9781642473346e
Editor Medora MacDougall
Cover Designer Heather Honeywell

Extras

GCLS Goldie Awards
Despite ChaosWinner, Romantic Blend.

FROM THE AUTHOR

"Despite Chaos, the first installment of the Falling Castles Series, is a re-envisioning of the first novel-length story I ever wrote. That original fanfiction story, dating back to 2016, titled Delayed Connection, was inspired by a cocktail I once enjoyed at a hotel bar near an airport, which I reference in the book. The story was set loosely in the world of Showtime’s the L Word, and readers at LesFan.com received it well, inspiring me to continue writing. Two novel-length stories later set in the same world, and I’d completed my first series.

Fast forward to 2019. After signing my first contract with Bella Books, I attended the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) Conference in Pittsburgh. I was intimidated by the talent I’d met there, feeling very much the imposter. But once I learned the publisher, Linda Hill, was there, I decided to corner her for a private discussion. I pitched the sequel to my first book after a dose of liquid courage, maybe two. To my surprise and delight, she said she loved the story idea and wanted it. My boldness grew, and we discussed my plan to write two different series and produce six books in three years. She was all in. Despite Chaos represents my fourth book in two years and kicks off that long-awaited second series."

—Stacy Lynn Miller

Reviews

NetGalley
Raminta M. - There is a LOT going on in this book. A well written, high drama lesfic with one of THE MOST understanding husbands on the planet. This will be a great beach read. Can't wait for the next title in what is bound to be an exciting series.

NetGalley
Della B. - Chaos is the definite theme of the novel. It begins a little too chaotic in the first few chapters as it introduces the characters but then quickly settles into a palpable rhythm which kept me up reading all night. It has all the makings of a good soap opera without the saccharine after taste. I must mention the ending is the best that I have read in a long, long time. I will be counting the days until the second book in this series is released.

NetGalley
Diane W. - 4.5stars! Such a riveting story about love, family, friendships, authoritarianism, legacies etc.. The story is also filled with snappy writing, an assortment of well-crafted situations that few readers will realize their significance because they ended up making perfect sense during its progression. Stacy Lynn Miller carefully tried not to belabor the plotline with the many occurring incidents by some of the minor supporting characters thereby keeping the storytelling interesting and fresh to entice her readers.

NetGalley
Colleen C. - 4.25 Stars. Stacy Lynn Miller has a great ability to write messy, complicated people that are easy to like. With this first book in the "Falling Castles" series, she does it again with Alexandra Castle and Tyler Falling.

NetGalley
Bonnie K. - This is a well written slow burn romance. There's romance, competition, blackmail, embezzlement and jealously. The story was fast paced, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The love, support and understanding of Tyler’s husband was astounding. Hands down a great read and I recommend getting a copy. 4.5 stars

NetGalley
Betty H. - The author is extremely skilled at unexpected plot twists in her stories. I’m often surprised at the twists and turns of her tales, and what she puts her characters through. There are times when she is not kind to the folks in her books. Of course, this only makes her books even more compelling and interesting to read. Her endings leave us all wanting more.

Despite Chaos is a wonderful tale of mystery, intrigue, and romance. After this ending, I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting eagerly for the next book in the series.

NetGalley
Emma S. - I honestly do not know what to say! Fantastic story. Everything I’ve read by Stacy Lynn Miller has been entertaining, engaging and gripping. Despite Chaos is yet another amazing story, it’s a must book to own in 2022. It’s a 5/5. And with a cliffhanger like that… can’t wait for that sequel.

Customer Reviews

1 review for Despite Chaos – eBook

  1. webbie65 (verified owner)

    …I’ll just say that I really liked this book and I’ll be starting the next one shortly. Definitely recommend. I give this a 4 and a half stars.

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